No Man's Land

No Man’s Land a series of paintings by Kate Milsom INTRODUCTION The ‘No Man’s Land’ Series by Kate Milsom The idea behind this series is to celebrate remarkable people who have challenged gender stereotyping in order to live lives of adventure and professional discovery. The initial inspiration came from an article on Rose de Freycinet who joined her husband’s round-the-world scientific voyage illegally, dressed as a man. Thinking she might make a good subject for a painting, I discovered I could find only one small likeness of her. This led me to wonder how many other unconventional historical figures had been similarly neglected and, ultimately, to start working on this alternative gallery of portraits. Unsurprisingly, the series features many women who have dressed as men to be able to pursue education or careers that would have been denied to them otherwise. Throughout history there are scores of women who have assumed male identities simply in order to survive financially. There are also literary women, such as Amy Dillwyn and Florence Dixie, who have used their own experiences to champion women’s rights. The series includes portraits of both men and women for whom gender identity was at best irrelevant and at worst significantly limiting to their ideas of personal freedom and sexuality. All are united by their disregard for societal norms – for a variety of reasons and to a greater or lesser extent – and they dressed accordingly. For many of these advocates of freedom and equality, ‘doing’ was far more important than personal recognition or social acceptance, the antithesis to our current ‘selfie’ generation. Christina and the Crown Oil & mixed media on gesso board 51cm x 41cm (unframed size) Christina, King of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals Christina and the Courtesan 1626 - 1689 (Reign: 1632 - 1654) Christina is celebrated as one Oil & mixed media on gesso board of the most educated women of the 1600’s. Intelligent yet also 51cm x 41cm (following pages left) strident and moody, she rejected the stereotypical behaviours expected from a female of her time and position. She outraged Ninon de Lenclos (1620 - 1705) was a French author, many by her extraordinary manners and habit of dressing in freethinker, and patron of the arts. She had a succession men’s clothing, and scandalised her court by first deciding not of notable and wealthy lovers including the Marquis de to marry and ultimately abdicating in 1654 in order to publicly Villarceaux. On ending their affair he reportedly fell into such worship as a Roman Catholic, at which point she moved to a fever that to console him Ninon cut off her hair and sent it to Rome. him, starting a vogue for bobbed hair. Her nonconformist views and lifestyle led to her imprisonment in the Madelonnettes Christina was the third daughter and only surviving child of Convent in 1656 at the behest of Anne of Austria. Not long her parents. Initially pronounced a boy at birth due to an after, however, she was visited by Christina, who was so abundance of dark hair and a strong, hoarse voice, her mother impressed by both her beauty and mental capacity, that she became deeply depressed when the mistake was corrected and wrote to Cardinal Mazarin and arranged for her release. would have little to do with her for the rest of her life. Christina and the Popes Her father King Gustavus Adolfus however, with his well-earned Oil & mixed media on gesso board reputation as a pragmatist, simply declared “She’ll be clever, 51cm x 41cm (following pages right) she has made fools of us all!”. For her first 6 years until his untimely death at The Battle of Lützen, Christina and her father At the age of 28, the “Minerva of the North” having converted shared a close relationship, in which, officially recognised as to Catholicism, relinquished her throne, and moved to Rome. his female heir, she was treated exactly the same as if she had The Pope described Christina as “a queen without a realm, been a son. She was thus educated as if she had been a Royal a Christian without faith, and a woman without shame.” Male, learning at least 8 languages and being described by one She became a leader of theatrical and musical life in Rome tutor as having “a bright intelligence... She is not at all like a and protected many artists, composers, and musicians. She female”. petitioned Pope Clement X to prohibit the custom of chasing Jews through the streets at carnival and issued a declaration Although called “Queen,” the official title she held as of her that Roman Jews were under her protection. Being the guest of coronation by the Riksdag in February 1633 was in fact King. 4 consecutive Popes, and a symbol of the Counter Reformation, she is one of only 4 women buried in the Vatican grotto. François Timoléon de Choisy 1644 - 1724 Oil & mixed media on gesso board 34.5cm x 30cm De Choisy was a French transvestite, abbé, and author. As delighted in fooling a troop of male admirers. Many young was the usual practice from the mid 16th century until the women of the day would call on him for fashion advice, early 20th century, young boys in the Western world were encouraged by their mothers. He enjoyed their company ‘unbreeched’ and wore gowns or dresses until an age that greatly, and at least one pregnancy was produced from these varied between two and eight. What was unusual however, visits. Eventually however his increasingly extravagant toilettes and has been attributed to a whim of his mother’s, was that and exhibitionist behaviour earned him a public rebuke and the young François continued to be dressed in female attire exile from Paris. throughout his adolescence. He visited Rome in 1676, and shortly afterwards a serious Her reasons might have been political, as proffering the young illness brought about a sudden conversion to religion. François as a playmate for her friend Anne of Austria’s son In 1685, in a rather ill-considered attempt to redeem his Philippe I Duc d’Orleans (known as little Monsieur) would no reputation, he accompanied the Chevalier de Chaumont on doubt further her own position at court. Queen Anne, referred a mission to Siam to try to convert the King to Catholicism. to Philippe as “my little girl” and encouraged him also to He was ordained priest, and received various ecclesiastical dress in feminine costume, because it was seen to reduce any preferments, but the mission itself was a dismal failure, both potential threat he may have posed to his older brother, King diplomatically and financially. Louis XIV. He wrote a number of historical and religious works, but is Extravagant ‘play-dates’ were arranged with Mme de Choisy most remembered for his gossipy ‘Memoires’, in which he using her son as a small instrument of courtly diplomacy. “I draws vivid portraits of his contemporaries and are filled with was dressed as a girl,” recounts Choisy, “every time that little fascinating details of court life at the time. The accounts of his Monsieur came to our house, and he came twice or thrice a adventures as a woman are credited as the first transvestite week. I had my ears pierced, and wore diamonds, patches, and diaries. all the little gewgaws to which one becomes easily used and which one parts with so hardly. Monsieur, who loved all that, showed me boundless friendship.” As an adult, De Choisy took up male dress briefly whilst pursuing his studies, but soon went back to his preferred female clothing. He enjoyed a brief acting career in which he Julie d’Aubigny - La Maupin 1670 - 1707 Oil & mixed media on gesso board 44.5cm x 32.5cm Julie d’Aubigny (1670/1673–1707), better known as convent, and escaped. They were on the run for three months Mademoiselle Maupin or La Maupin, was a 17th century and Julie was sentenced to death in absentia by the parliament swords woman and opera singer. Her tumultuous career and in Provence under the name sieur de Maupin, as the judges flamboyant life were the subject of gossip and colourful stories couldn’t quite admit the possibility of one woman abducting in her own time, and inspired numerous portrayals afterwards. another – let alone from a convent. Her father, Gaston d’Aubigny, was a secretary to the Comte The girl was returned to her family eventually, and Julie d’Armagnac, the Master of the Horse for King Louis XIV. An persuaded her old lover, d’Armagnac to arrange a pardon accomplished swordsman, he trained the court pages, and for her. There are a string of stories of her subsequent wild educated the young Julie alongside the boys. She dressed as a adventures and affairs with both men and women. boy and excelled at fencing from an early age. The household moved to the court to Versailles in 1682, and from then on she Through her liaison with Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard, himself spent much of her youth in the Great Stables (Grande Écurie). an opera singer, Julie was hired by the Paris Opéra in 1690. She sang for the court at Versailles on a number of occasions, and By the age of 14 she had become d’Armagnac’s mistress. In again performed in many of the Opéra’s major productions. 1687 he arranged for her to marry the timid sieur de Maupin She appeared for the last time in La Vénitienne by Michel de La before promptly dispatching him to the provinces and a Barre (1705).

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